Matthew Prior

Over the winter break, I was going over my
notes from one year ago and looking for some information that I needed to
address a current concern that a member had presented to me. One year ago,
there were environmental concerns at Bailey, telephone and communication
problems at George Washington, air quality issues at Chambers, safety problems
at KHS, technology and computer concerns district-wide, the issue of the status
of the budget and jobs for 2002-03 following 9/11, and the unsettled
(resurrected) teacher and ESP contracts. They all had two things in common.
One; they had been addressed for months with no progress, and, two; they were
all concerns brought to us by our members. Some of these items were settled that April.

The KTF leadership did not create the
issues. Our members presented them to us and, as the responsible party under
the Taylor Law, we have the duty of fair
representation. If it’s a violation of contract
language, past practice, education, or penal law, our obligation is to
investigate and evaluate the concern and to represent the member.

Lately, there is a perception, being
promoted by district leadership, that all of these problems have been generated
by the KTF officers, and that everything within the district is perceived by
the membership as wonderful. This is an obvious attempt to persuade the ignorant that all concerns are idle
creations and that ‘life is good’ in the kingdom.

When member concerns are not addressed,
basically ignored, it is a statement
of disrespect for all of us. A wrong to one of us is a wrong to all of us. Is
that the way we treat people in Kingston?

Last year’s member concerns are now added
to this year’s concerns and they are treated with the same lip service and
posturing. Health insurance, safety, technology, the budget, and special
education issues linger and are substantially ignored. In good faith, we have
participated on committees and participated in meetings. Most are a charade.
Last year, the knowledgeable were not persuaded. So far this year, the ignorant are in the comfort zone of
professional bliss.

So, fellow member, I have your issue in
hand. I will present it on your behalf. Don’t expect any timely action or
positive response.History shows us that
no one cares. They just want it to go away.

Member issues are addressed for months
with no progress. Blame is placed on the messenger. And an attitude of
procrastination and avoidance that passes for professionalism prevails.
Ignorance is bliss. As Yogi Berra would say, “It sounds like déjà vu all over,
again.”

And, that’s the Bottom Line.

LITCHKA WALKS OUT

At the
December monthly meeting between the KTF and the District, Superintendent of
Schools Peter Litchka, rather than answer a question, declared that the meeting
was over and walked out. Besides leaving the KTF representatives behind,
Assistant Superintendents Jerry Gretzinger, Greer Fischer, and Lois Riter were
also left at the table.

After
only ten minutes into the monthly meeting, a venue that Litchka had created
under the guise of better communication, he was asked about the status of
Safety Director Ira Bell and Bell’s rumored resignation. When asked, Litchka
reportedly replied that anyone had the right to resign. When asked whether or
not he had talked to Bell, Litchka responded that who he talked to was none of
anyone’s business. When the question was clarified that no one wanted to know
what was discussed, only if there had been any dialogue, Litchka declared that
if voices were raised, the meeting was over. As the question was again clarified,
he walked out. KTF President Hugh Spoljaric said, “This reaction from a person
who told us on day one that communication was his priority. It doesn’t appear
that he follows his own A+ Plan.”

Bell did,
indeed offer his resignation at the next Board meeting. After a preliminary
tabling, it was accepted by a vote of 6-3, with Board members George Farrell,
Ian Horowitz, and James Leahy voting against the resolution.

Bell is the
only Safety Director that the district has ever had. He is a retired Kingston
police officer who knows the district well. KTF Safety Chair and Vice President
Vince Voerg stated that, “After years, we now have a safety plan in place at
each building. Now, we have an unexpected and unexplained resignation that
jeopardizes everything that has been worked for.” Board President B.A. Feeney
stated that a transition would be in place prior to Bell’s departure at the end
of February. Inquiries of the Safety committee members and of Bell do not
support that statement. No transition plan has been presented. Voerg indicated
that for the Board not to inquire into the circumstances of the resignation was
to place safety on a non-priority list. “They (the Board) are rubber stamping
issues that need to be investigated and discussed,” said Voerg. He added that
the message being sent is that“student
and employee safety are not important in Kingston’s schools.”

Hasenflue Attains

National Certification

Home and Careers teacher Beverly (Betsy)
Hasenflue of the Miller Middle School has become the fourth Kingston teacher to
attain National Board Certification. Additionally, she is the only teacher in
New York State to be Board certified in the area of Home and Careers.

In 1997, the KTF negotiated to have the
district assume the $2,000 - $3,000 needed to apply and to complete the
program. Since that time, NYSUT has instituted a program to provide funds for
the application/completion process, and the KTF, in the year 2000, negotiated a
$3,000 salary increase for teachers attaining Board certification.

The KTF congratulates Betsy on her career
accomplishment and encourages other teachers to consider the program. Although
the rigors of regular teacher certification are greatest in New York State and,
while many new teachers are burdened with attaining permanent certification,
the national program should be a natural next step. There are many more new areas
that have been introduced for certification. Additional information is
available at www.nysut.org and from Board
certified teachers.

RETIREE PUBLISHES BOOK

Retired KHS English teacher Mary Leonard
has published 21st Century Flint, a book of poetry. She will
be doing a poetry reading on Sunday, February 23, from 4:00-5:30 at the Uptown
Café in the Stockade section of Kingston. Half of the admission fee of $5 and
all of the profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the Oncology
Support Center and Cancer Foundation at Benedictine Hospital. An added
attraction at the reading will be the photographs of Joy Martin-Moore, both
framed and in card form, with all profits going to the Cancer Foundation.

GREAT NEWS FOR SECRETARIES

Salary increases
should be significant in the next contract for all secretaries, whether ESP or
confidential. The Superintendent, Peter Litchka, upon the recommendation of an
Assistant Superintendent, hired his own fulltime secretary in November. The new
secretary was reportedly hired at a salary $10,000 more than any other
secretary in the district. This includes some secretaries who have worked for
over forty years in the Kingston School district.

According to ESP
members, the salary raises the bar for all other secretaries who will be
looking for between25% and30% increases in their paychecks when a new
contract is negotiated.

NEW
HEALTH CARDS

National Health Administrators, the third
party administrator for the Kingston Trust Fund, has mailed new ID cards to all
members. The new cards should be checked for correctness and any discrepancies
should be reported to NHAI. A new electronic ID number is on the card as well
as new group and Rx numbers.

Members are asked to have their providers
make a copy of the new cards for their records and to note the new claim’s
address.Federal law now demands that,
as of April 1, all claims be capable of electronic filing. All claims should be
sent to the new electronic filing center at: NHAI, PO Box 5000, Endicott, NY
13761-5000.

NHAI members will receive additional
information in a separate correspondence by the end of January. Retirees have
already received the information.

“DEFIBRILLATORS”

Thanks to KTF rep and Crosby Nurse Jeanne
Roper for a note indicating the correct spelling of the new devices. The KTF’s Demand
to Bargain on the issue of the impact defibrillator operation has on our
members has not been answered by the district.

CONDOLENCES

To Kathy
Owitz on the passing of her mother; to Pam Gaffney on the passing of her
mother-in-law; and to retiree Sandra Rose on the passing of her daughter.

NEWSALARY SCHEDULE C

Year two of
the teachers’ contract provided for an infusion of $40,000 to Salary Schedule
C. Under the new schedule, SRT and KALP Chairs are now compensated positions at
$300 each. There is SEED (Student Educator-Education Development) money for
Principal approved teacher activities: $200/elementary, $550/middle school, and
$1000 KHS.

Try It

Reprinted from The American Teacher, Winter 2002-03

“HAPPY CALLS: As we near the mid-point of the school year, all
teachers in your school or district should consider making “Happy Calls” during
a specified week in January, suggests Hugh Spoljaric, President of the Kingston
(NY) Teachers’ Federation. Spoljaric urges each teacher to call the parent or
guardian of five students to praise the work of that student. “Our local has
686 teachers, and if every member makes five calls to five different homes,
more than 3,400 community members will have been reached with a positive
message about education,” he notes.”

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The KTF President suggests that Kingston
teachers make Happy Calls during the last week of January this year. Each call
should last no more than one minute. (Remind a parent that you have more calls
to make). Most adults receive only negative calls, so this is an opportunity to
praise the student. (Every child can be praised for something). It is a small
commitment to be an ambassador for us.